


Percolator

by citylitlena



Series: ★Gone by Summer ★ [1]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Video Game World, Best Friends, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Environmentalism, Female Characters, Female Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Monsters, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, POV Female Character, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Rain, Thunderstorms, Video & Computer Games
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2019-10-25 01:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17715149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/citylitlena/pseuds/citylitlena
Summary: Creatures slough and storms rage around Robin and Demetrius' home in the mountains. A night that started out as a D&D session spirals into more and more (worse and worse?)





	1. Thunder

**Author's Note:**

> Stardew Valley is one of my favourite games so naturally as I tried to write persona fanfic this happened instead. I'm new to fanfic and really should have got into it so I had somewhere to put all that teenage angst, but hell I'm gonna do it now.  
> If I'm doing something wrong, give me a shout. If you like it then hay, thanks for reading- more to come.

“Go on without me”  
Sam Braveheart clenched his jaw, gazing down at the fallen form of Anagelova whom Death Fears. The elf’s body was paralysed and burned but her hands still clenched a purple leather-bound spellbook like an old friend. Stuck like a hunted boar with a lance of indecision Sam simply stood there, hefting his sword as the roaring crystal sound of arcane storm magic approached. (Ohh nice- “roaring crystal”. I like it.) 

(Uh, thanks. It's your turn Sam.)  
Sam Braveheart stammered out a frantic reply:  
“I don’t know what to do without you Anagelova. Can’t I carry you?”  
Sam stooped and easily shouldered the lithe and planking body of Anagelova. He turned to run, kicking up dry sand as he tore a trail through the desert. Ahead, he could see Hana the halfling cleric looking even smaller than usual as she ran into the distance. Like a toll of doom he heard the strained tone of his companion:  
“Dude you’re going to be too slow to outrun the storm and I’m out of buffs!”  
(Was that… In character Zoe?)  
(Yeah, Hana's chill af.) 

From the rippling back of the warrior, Anagelova could see the churning air forming shapes from the dust below- terrible faces and menacing spiked forms there one instant then wisped away. And suddenly it made even more sense to her. And suddenly she was more frightened than she had ever been. Rolling her eyes towards the red bunch of hair that was all she could see of Sam she shouted:  
“Sam, drop me- It’s hopeless! There’s no point in both of us dying tonight!  
Sam shook his head, firing back with:  
“No I won’t drop you- I literally don’t know what to do without you- you’ve got all the notes in that book. I won’t give up and I’ve got a plan!”  
(Well- maybe do it?)  
(Yeah now isn’t the time to hold back Braveheart. The storm is like one turn away.)  
(I use action surge and I’m gonna use it to run.)  
(Right… roll your acrobatics. It’s going to need to be a good one.)  
(Sam wait! We could just-)  
(I know how to play- you don’t need to control my character anymore Abby. I roll…)  
***

“A one.”  
The three players leaned back on their chairs in an uneasy quiet that came over the chilly basement. For a brief few seconds the only sound was the struggling fan of an overworked computer in the corner. Then the air shook with a deep roll of thunder. Sebastian ran a hand through his silky black fringe and clenched his teeth. Leaning over the game master shield he sheepishly stated:  
“The storm overtakes you both, wrapping your bodies and your hearts in liquid nightmares- and worse. As the monsters within tear your souls apart the storm continues on uncaring. It chases the dust trail of Hana. Sorry everyone. I think we’re going to have to stop for tonight. I was sort of planning on having a full party for this next bit.”  
Abigail bit her lip and smouldered beneath curled purple locks. Sam’s hands had faltered halfway through his spiked blonde hair and his eyes were round and staring at the d20 with that fateful and fatal critical fail showing. Zoe fiddled with the straps on her denim overalls. Her eyes flitted between Abby and Sam. It looked like something was bubbling just under Abby’s lid and ready to explode. 

Sighing, Abby steadily said something through her teeth:  
“Why didn’t you listen to me? Now Hana’s all on her own and we’re two people down!”  
Turning slowly to face Abby’s stern gaze Sam grimaced and mumbled “I thought it worked with the character.” Abby quirked an eyebrow “I don’t remember other Sam having a deathwish”. Sam worked up some courage and rested his hands on the table saying:  
“No he didn’t but Anagelova was his best friend. You were always telling me I should think more about the character or whatever and I did and now you’re getting mad at me?” Abby responded with a forced laugh, leaning closer so her nose was inches away from Sam’s:  
“Well if your big character moment breaks the game maybe you should stick to being the big token fighter and not mess up Seb’s whole game plan. Not every fight needs to have a dramatic death sequence, it’s not a forking transformers movie or whatever you watched last! What about ” The springtrap venom on Abby’s words made Sam lean back, raising his hands like he had the barrel of a gun pointed at him. His face twisted with a mix of surprise and hurt. Seb interjected “Hay, don’t being me into this, I could just say that tonight didn’t happen and we could go back to-” Then it was Sebastian’s turn to jump back as both of the feuding players faced him and simultaneously said:  
“No!” 

Another pause overtook the room and another roll of thunder passed as Sam and Abby glowered deeply at each other. The tension shattered only when Zoe’s phone pinged and all eyes turned towards her. Fishing it out of the big chest pocket of her overalls she felt the familiar weight in her hands. The well-worn screen was shattered in several places and through the rivulets of black she could see Emily’s profile photo beside the message:  
“Hay dreamgirl- this storm is getting pretty intense- some real bad vibes \ 0_0   
Are you going to get back tonight?”  
As she tapped out a reply, Abby stood up and scooped a notebook, dice bag and expertly-painted character figure into a backpack. She blurted out something about how she should be going and by the time Zoe had sent back a quick response saying she was leaving soon, Abby was gone. Before the door had swung closed, conversation resumed. Sam asked the other two if he was really doing something wrong. Sebastian shrugged. He could see where Abby had been arguing from but this could be solved somehow- it always could. He still told Sam that it was a dumb decision but it made sense for the character. 

After they had all got their gear together, Sebastian came with them to the front door. Sam had to brace his shoulder against it as the storm forced itself against the flimsy-seeming wooden hatch. Pulling their coats around themselves, Sam and Zoe set out together into the driving rain. The thunder clapped a third time, much less distant, making them both startle. Huddling together to shield each other a little, they discussed what happened. Sam was indignant at Abby’s reaction. Zoe was unsure where to step on this issue just now, thinking more of home and the dry fresh sheets that had been washed this morning. When the time came for them to part ways, Zoe cautioned to Sam “Stay safe out there, message us when you get home!” Rolling his eyes, Sam recovered an element of his flippant attitude and jabbed back with:  
“It’s okay old-timer- I’m a big boy. I can look out for myself!”  
Before fighting upwind towards the lights of Pelican Town down the mountain. Not to be outdone Zoe shouted after him:  
“I’m like four years older than you ya meddling kid!” Before smiling. It was getting colder every second under the raincoat which she was slowly realising was too thin. She just saw the outline of Sam as he turned and stuck his tongue out at her before vanishing in the shifting sheets of rain. 

Zoe took the back way around to Aspen farm. Climbing the steps she took some time to be happy that Emily was there at the house. Snoot, their dog, would be terrified of the thunder and when she lived alone she felt awful leaving him alone on stormy days. Of course there were plenty of other reasons, but that was the one that came to mind just now. Another would be the everpresent supply of tea that naturally occurred in a home where two tea lovers live. Turning the corner, she passed into the small crevasse that held the tunnel out of town and the mountain trail back home. The rain was less like a hail of arrows here and the wind that was chilling the left side of her face dropped off completely. Her ears rang as she cupped warm hands over them. After they warmed up a little, she pulled the ear-flaps of her hat downward to cover them. Past the flaps she heard something new over the howling of wind caught in the rocks above. A sound like metal striking wood. 

Zoe knew the land around here well. Ever since moving here as a wrung-out and tired college dropout she had waked this path nearly every day. Still a sound like that does something primal. Zoe was on edge, looking around in the last remaining glow of daylight that clung to the mountainside. It sounded like it was coming from all around her as the wind carried the sharp noises all around. Zoe didn’t like this. With a practised hand she unbuckled the sheath on her back and drew the subtle dark blade she kept for emergencies. Sometimes the occasional monster escaped the caves near town. She didn’t draw yet- it could be anything. But she knew from past experience that the sword could be in her practised grip within a second. 

Gulping, she hustled quietly through the stormbound gathering night.


	2. Shortclaws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After leaving from a game of D&D, Zoe (OC Farmer) struggles through sheet rain and stumbles on something unexpected and invites them back for tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO I posted something on this a while ago and It went sorta well, there is more coming. Stardew is a real nice place to be and I actually have some decent plans for this! In my mind this is going to be the start of a road trip story taking place in Stardew Valley but heading towards beach city of Steven Universe, because in my head they're totally part of the same world. It just works so well.

The mountainside path was thin and funneled the wary farmer straight towards the thunk of metal striking wood. Ready to defend herself and praying she wouldn’t have to Zoe slinked through the cold air. From the rapidly expanding shadow underneath a maple she could see the farmhouse by its lit windows a hundred feet below. Emily would be there by now. Perhaps she was working on the rainbow woolen scarf she had been knitting for winter. Checking the windows and squinting, Zoe failed to catch a glimpse of the familiar blue-haired figure in them. Back to business. 

Bringing her gaze back to the flat and narrow plane of the mountain path Zoe could see the edges of a patch of light leaking out from behind the trunk of an ancient oak. The same oak Zoe noticed deep scars on a week before- cuts which wept amber resin, too straight to be made by the claws of any regular animal. So tonight was the night she would discover the perpetrator behind these attacks. But were they a monster or human? 

 

All too aware of how menacing the monstrous denizens of the mountain could be she steeled herself, taking a breath before rounding the tree and silencing the mosey worried voice in her head with a tight grip on her subtle blade. The sickening feeling of her pounding heart jibed strangely with what she saw. Purple hair running wiry and wild in the percolating rain, Abigail’s face was twisted in a grimace. The silvery sword reflected a nearby lantern as it dove into the splintered bark, cutting surprisingly deep. On seeing the farmer round the wide trunk the grimace fell away to a backwards lean of surprise. Abigail’s hands lost their grip on the sword and flew to her side, leaving it wobbling in where it had gashed the tree. Her eyes rounded and looked from the blade in Zoe’s hands to the look on the farmer’s face. Realising how that looked, Zoe sheathed her blade across her back. Abigail broke the silence of dripping water filtered through the pines:   
“Wow you scared me! I thought I was gonna come face-to-face with something nasty. Like the demigorgon from a few weeks ago.”   
It was at times like these that Zoe felt the few years she had on Abigail come crashing down and make her feel like an old woman:   
“I scared you? I was walking home and heard metal striking wood. That’s a chilling sound to hear when you’re on your own. Especially on the mountain path- what are you even doing up here?” Abigail, never one to be shaken for long had regained her composure, rolling her eyes a little at Zoe’s words:  
“Hay, don’t start being like everyone else around here. You helped train me- you know I can handle myself. And also my dad’s started stopping at the graveyard way too much. Since I don’t think I have some long-lost aunt in there I know he’s onto me. I needed somewhere new to practice.” Abigail shrugged, affecting her usual air of casual flintiness. Zoe’s response was to narrow her eyes at her friend and sometime pupil. Catching this serious gaze, Abigail added:   
“And… If a monster comes down from the hills I could take them! It’d be good training. It shouldn’t be all up to you to get rid of them either! I wanted to help.” Sometimes Zoe wondered if she had done the right thing training Abigail to be a more competent swordswoman. There seemed to be something missing though- the pattern of wooden viscera on the tree looked like a beating, not a practice session. 

Quirking an eyebrow even higher Zoe questioned:   
“You sure there’s nothing else to you being here on a night like this? If you’re really practicing I’ll tell you those sword strokes look sloppy- I know you’re better than that.” That blew the casual veneer off of the younger woman’s face. Her fists curled initially and she turned, putting a few steps between Zoe and her. When she about turned to face her mentor she wore a frown full of conflict. She spoke slowly over the intensifying rain:  
“I… I needed to work off some steam from that thing with Sam. It’s not pretty but beating something up helps when you feel bad. You must get that too right?” She looked sheepishly at the tree- the distance must have given some context, because she followed up with “Wow, I really wrecked this old thing didn’t I?” Looking at the wreckage that used to be treebark, Zoe bit her lip. Removing the sword from the pine she detected it’s fresh sappy scent on the wind. Abigail’s chipped blade was well-balanced and polished despite it’s age. Carrying it hilt out and towards Abigail, Zoe responded:   
“I don’t actually like fighting stuff- I just need to. The tree will live. The scars just made me worried some sort of steel-clawed panther was running wild up here. I don’t know what the problem was with Sam- sorry I was messaging Emily. If it’s really that bad though you should stop by my place. It’s close by and there’s always tea. And you’re soaking wet. You want to come along?”. 

Looking at the extended hilt of her own beloved sword Abigail felt a shiver come over her. Still a little out of breath from the exertion of the last few minutes. She was feeling the chill seep through her inadequate top and coat. Some tea and a place to dry off would be perfect. Raising her eyes towards Zoe she nodded and reclaimed her sword, sheathing it awkwardly over her side, still not entirely used to the movement:  
“That would be real nice of you Zoe. Oh, and Emily will be there right? I meant to talk to her about that cosplay thing I was planning…” 

The two wondered away from the tree, wreathed in the light of Abigail’s lantern, towards the farmhouse below. All the while, Abigail could feel it twisting her stomach- she was still upset with Sam for not listening to her. Buried, the feeling lingered and curled under the pounding rain.


	3. Between the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an encounter with something unknown, Zoe and Abigail tell a story and Demetrius gets theoretical.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fanfic is turning out to be real fun. Demetrius is a character I didn't interact much with in-game but it was fun to write him here. Hope you denizens of the internet like it, if there's something I'm doing wrong I am a total beginner, so if you're kind enough to tell me what I'm messing up please do, I'll send you a <3 you beneficent goose of constructive criticism.

Tea was served. A heady aroma of roobis and lemon zest lazily wafted from a motley assortment of mugs, flasks and one chipped teacup. Abigail clenched the teacup, thin fingers tracing the faded pattern of roses and vines winding around it’s rim. Her leg was raised on the table in a clean white bandage. All cradling one of the assorted mugs and flasks next to her were Zoe, who was drying her soaked hair in a borrowed towel, Sebastian with his laptop open in front of him, Demetrius who leaned on the table with a look of deep concern and Robin who looked like she was still asleep behind glassy eyes. 

Demetrius was the one who broke the silence:   
“Tell me what you saw again and try to be as precise as possible please- I believe you saw something but there must be another explanation.”   
Exchanging sidelong glances, both Zoe and Abigail began to talk and cut each other off. Zoe took the chance to warm up with some tea motioned for Abigail to continue. Taking a second to clear her throat and a pause for dramatic effect Abigail explained:

***

“The rain grew heavier as Zoe and I hurried to her place to warm up- I’d taken a wrong turn or something- that’s not important. We were passing over the road tunnel out of town. It felt like we were going to get blown away by the wind blasting us. So we both noticed when the rainfall got lighter. It was so dark we could barely see anything ahead of us, but as we pushed on the lantern light hit a moving dark. It looked like Joja Jell-o but the ‘Nightcurrant Black’ type they released for halloween a few years ago. And it was moving. 

We looked up and we saw it was big. Whatever it was- at the edge of the lamplight we could see this bone-white stuff sticking out above the trees. All we could see ahead was this… Thing. It was stretching all the way across the gully that leads to Zoe’s farm! I was about to draw my sword, thinking it was some weird monster but my hands were um… shaking. We just stayed very quiet. It must have spotted us though- from the other side of it’s body a long tapered bit of it- I guess it was a neck- came around at us and I swear the thing looked right at us and our light and howled. Zoe said it’s exactly the sound she always hears on rainy nights- those weird bloopy noises? And it was loud. It had these shiny white eyes with no pupils and as soon as it saw us these black tendril-looking things started emerging from it in our direction! 

Zoe said we should run so I had to follow her- I wasn’t scared or anything. The lantern got left behind on the ground. I tried to look behind us to see if the thing was following and the light of the lantern was snuffed out just as I saw those empty staring eyes reflecting the flame. That was when I twisted my ankle over a root. Zoe had to help me up- luckily the thing was really slow and we lot it turning the corner onto the mountain path. I wasn’t looking back any more after that. 

Ouch- now I think about it this ankle hurts. Bad. It just surged again- ow ow ow. How soon did those painkillers say they would kick in? 

***

Fingers steepled like a strategist, Demetrius responded:   
“They should start working in ten minutes time. It will be easier if you keep talking. Did the ‘legs’ resemble actual legs or were they more like pseudopods?” Abigail blinked at Demetrius as the image of the serious-looking man swam in front of her. Demetrius added “Pseudopods. Like a slime in Dungeons and Dragons.” That broke through Abigail’s wooziness. She nodded and took a sip of tea to regain her composure:   
“It was totally slime-like. I wish I could call it a demigorgon or something so I could give you a picture but I’ve never seen anything like it. Slimes don’t usually come out of the deep caves, right Zoe?” 

Putting down her phone and teacup the farmer nodded “Only the teeny ones can squeeze out into the valley.” Demetrius’s brow furrowed as he took some time to think. Chewing her lip to help deal with the pain Abigail uncomfortably shifted towards Sebastian. He had been tapping frantically on his laptop the whole time. It was usually difficult to discern exactly what Sebastian was doing on his laptop- tens of tabs on a browser window and two different chat windows at least. However just now there was only one thing open- many tabs of image searches. Seeing him click on the tab, Abigail saw the extensive drop-down of past searches which was full of ‘Bloop, Black Slime, Rain monster, stardew valley mystery monster’ etc. And just at the bottom of the list ‘Mirai Nikki s1 e6’. 

Noticing her looking Sebastian sighed:  
“I didn’t think I’d find anything but it’s worth a shot.”   
Demetrius stirred, his lips twisting:   
“And you’re both absolutely certain of what you saw?” Synchronising again, both women tilted their heads in disbelief. Abigail snapped:   
“I’m not some kid who’s going to make up stories Demetrius!”   
Zoe, seeing things about to get worse, leaned forward, brushing ever so slightly against Abigail’s leg, forcing a grimace and a yelp. She reasoned:   
“Abby’s right. You must have had some sort of theory on what those sounds in the rain were- you’re always around taking notes on something. SO what do you think?” 

Demetrius blinked heavily and tried to quiet the fogginess of snatched sleep that still hung around the edges of his mind. He had planned on addressing this theory- but in a lecture hall in Empire city, in front of the eyes of colleagues and students. Opening his eyes again to see a tired Robin, a flinty-eyed kid friend of his son and the local farmer all nursing tea put him more in the mind of an old TV mystery special. Hesitantly he began:  
“I can’t confirm anything yet. Who knows if the ideas I have are true…”   
Suddenly, something shifted in his mind. Perhaps he was tired enough, or the idea of late-night mysteries enticing enough, but what better time to air crazy theories than around a table very late at night? Restarting, he took on an unusual, conspiratorial tone. His voice dropped, prompting everyone to lean in. Except for Robin, who was poring herself more tea and had already heard it. Despite the minimal audience, Demetrius felt his hands start to sweat a little, and curled them under the smooth wooden edge of the table. 

“I do not know for sure what animals or monsters make that sound in the rain. It would have to be large. The sound they make is deep and can travel through the valleys easily, even with the disruption of rain. If they are so large then, why do we not get more sightings? They must have camouflage of some sort. It makes sense that you say it was dark in colour. There are stories going back to the founding of Pelican Town about those things. Lots of them call the creatures ‘demons’ so they are not very helpful. One account written by a dwarf describes something making their howling sound trying to break into the caves. They say it had ‘clouds on it’s spine and obsidian armor, with eyes like a hungry ghost.’”  
It was getting to the ridiculous and superstitious part of this theory already. Demetrius paused to allow everyone to chime in. However he received no such interjection. For once he had totally captured the attention of a whole room full of kids. And in that moment he felt his hands clutching for notes he didn’t have. Releasing the table, he started quickly towards his laboratory:  
“I have some copies of the literature, there are depictions in there, but take all I’m saying with a grain of salt. ancient dwarfish scrolls do not make a theory- we’re not even sure if we’re translating them properly yet.”   
The scrape of chairs followed him, along with the former occupants of those chairs. 

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Demetrius tried to stop himself from laughing as he gently walked towards the lab, his bare feet feeling the smooth wood floor below:  
“I don’t think you’ve ever been this eager to see my research before Seb the Creb- you should tell all your friends to come over when the next report comes through about when the next salmon season will start.” He didn’t even need to look- he sensed Sebastian’s eyes rolling as the reply drifted over:  
“Oh forgive me if a mystery monster and dwarfish scrolls are more interesting than there being a few more inches of rain than usual Dad! Also you did the storytelling voice that usually means something spooky.”   
“Seb the Creb?” Abigail’s voice started as they reached the lab- Demetrius flicked a switch and the fluorescent lights harshly severed any lingering clouds of sleep. Over the hum of several machines starting up, Abby continued to prod:   
“Like in the Little Mermaid?” Abby’s voice had a rising edge of impishness to it.   
Sebastian could not hold a response any longer:  
“Nope, nothing like that, just a silly joke, that’s all- where are those notes Dad?”   
From the drawer where he was crouched, rummaging through meticulously sorted but well-work and dog-eared files, Demetrius began whistling to the tune of ‘Under the Sea’ from that same movie. Once again, he could sense the eye-roll from Sebastian. Smiling, he dug through files that were weighted with years of statistics to grab a small and cheap blue one which had only a few pages on it’s near-pristine binder. Waiting to finish whistling the first verse, he played for time. 

Rising and bringing the file to the steel bench where his various onlookers had gathered he slid a wheeled stool int the direction of Abigail, who was hovering her foot just above the tiled floor. As she sunk into the seat he looked at Sebastian, unable to contain a little hiss of laughter as he said:  
“You know, I might need to see Seb the Creb before I show you my darkest secret files. Could I see little Seb the Creb- just for one dance?”   
The usual bends in his Stepson’s back, arms and legs stiffened for just a second and, in a voice that was not for joking around he responded:   
“Not a chance, not even if the sea witch curses me and I get stuck as a fishboy dad, let’s just move on please.”   
Demetrius shrugged as his eyes noticed Zoe stifling giggles into her baggy jumper and Robin standing in the corridor spluttering tea:   
“Oh well, it was worth asking. Let’s take a look- remember, this probably isn’t what’s actually outside. It’s just a theory”. The thin blue cover of the folder flipped, revealing a photocopy on cheap paper of an inky black thing drawn with the elegant hand of a dwarf historian. 

And everyone assembled jumped as a booming bang came from the front door. Abigail almost fell off her stool as she twisted towards the door. Three more booming knocks came on the door Robin had carved almost three years ago. Feeling the coldness of the tiles seep into his bare feet, Demetrius cautiously moved to the door, placing a hand on the handle and pulled, narrowing his eyes against the dark and feeling the snap chill of cold wind rush through the entrance. Sparking and shivering in the orange glow of their exterior light was the other kid from that night, Sam. He looked to be in a terrible shape, dressed as he had left in only a hoodie and cargo shorts which were impractical at this time of year anyway. Years of expedition training kicked in as he saw the intense shivering. Demetrius’s voice took on a commanding tone while simultaneously scooping the shivering boy into the house:   
“Zoe, get Sam some hot tea and Sebastian, get a towel- and the foil blanket from the first aid kit. Sam, let’s get you warmed up. Why aren’t you at home already?”  
The poor kid was shivering too much to speak clearly as he pulled his deflated blond fringe from his eyes. All Demetrius heard was:  
“Saw… Something… I couldn’t get to the road… It was…” Demetrius kept talking to Sam, his adrenaline flowing:  
“You saw something? Well, you can tell us about it when we sit you down, come on.” However, Sam had stopped stock still just as they were about to start down the hallway towards the kitchen. He was staring with widened eyes at the file which still lay open:  
“S…s…saw. That!”


	4. Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tired Sam has returned. Abigail is not sure how to feel. The group worry about what is outside.

Tea had been made and served once more Sam sat in a T-shirt loaned from Sebastian and bearing the spiky and incomprehensible logo of a metal band covered with a heavy blanket. Still shivering slightly he had relayed a similar story to Abigail and Zoe- walking down the mountain path towards Pelican town, he had noticed a monster- a large blob of darkness spread across the trail. Sam had tried to get around, climbing over a cliff trail but had slipped down, got hurt and ended up hurrying back towards the house up on the mountain. He had been sure he was beginning chased by the creature. He was only just beginning to calm down in the company of Zoe and Sebastian. Over in the corner of the kitchen Demetrius and Robin spoke in hushed tones about what should be done. In the other room, Abigail sat on the stool in the lab, nursing ankle. She could feel it swelling under the bandages. 

She was sure she had heard about creatures like these. Everyone had ideas about what the weird howls that only happened on rainy nights were. Seeing some truth behind them had made her realise that her imagination was not any weirder then what nature had produced. If that creature had been natural. Looking back over at the copy of an old dwarfish painting, then back over at her own sketch, half-finished. She was making an image of the thing she had seen to see if they matched. Through the open hallway towards the kitchen, she could hear the tones of Sam and Sebastian as they talked over what Sam had seen. Her left hand tightened around the pencil. Somehow seeing Sam so soon had amplified the feelings of frustration from the evening’s game tenfold. Biting her lip, she reminded herself to focus on the task at hand- figuring out what this thing was and if they needed to be worried about it. 

In both drawings there was a light-coloured hard structure on top. The more Abigail thought about it, the more it looked like bone. Bone like the skulls on display down in the tiny museum/library in Pelican town. However, outside of video games and movies why would a real creature want exposed bone all over its top? She remembered reading about turtles and tortoises long ago, about how they had evolved to have large plates for protection. However, the same books had mentioned that creatures that were as big as this monster had been probably didn’t need protection like that. 

Demetrius had notes scribbled down in messy handwriting which was impeccably organised into lists of theories, potential proofs and items needing more research. Abigail allowed herself a grin as she noted the same observations about the top plate of these things. It also mentioned that the dwarfs referred to the creatures as having clouds on their backs, but noted that, being a race of underground-dwelling people, the dwarfish rune for cloud was also used to sky, rain and even strong winds. That note ended with a scribbled ‘inconclusive- for now’. She was surprised at the frantic look of these noted. Demetrius always seemed so calm and collected- someone like that she had expected to stick to firm lines, even without and lined paper. He was always scribbling some notes somewhere while out in the field. Perhaps he just had so many observations to make that he wrote them all down as quickly as possible. 

Turning back to her drawing, she erased the line of what she was calling the ‘neck’ of this thing in her head. It needed a different slope to it to convey the goopiness of the creature. It really did look like it was ready to melt, even on a cold autumn night. Drawing monsters also reminded her of the library. When she was a kid she would sit there for hours reading books and drawing the pictures those words put in her head. She always thought it was a kind of magic, how something so real could be conjured by ink on some dead trees. She had always been drawn to adventure novels- imagining herself in the shoes of the Prairie King or any number of other trail-finders, fighters and travellers. One day, she had thought, she would be just like them. Sometimes she had wanted to just start, pack a bag and leave. But it had taken a year or so for her parents to be comfortable with her walking to the library on her own, let alone track through the wilderness. There were monsters out there, and worse- bad people. So she had been the kid who lived in the library until Gunther told her he had to close for the day and that she should go home. Eventually she stopped taking his offers to accompany her back home for safety. After that she would leave the library early some days and wander towards the beach where she had stashed a wooden sword under a rock, and practice swinging her blade at invisible enemies from stores she already knew so very well. 

Swords and rocks were rougher toys than pen and paper, and sometimes she would return with scraped knees, or cuts and bruises, all reminders of fun mock battles. Her father especially did not see it this way. He would stick plasters over the cuts while sticking her more and more into a web of rules, all designed to ‘keep her safe’; all as restrictive and subtle as iron bars. She grew up further and they became obstacles to strain against. Making friends like Sebastian and Sam had been a great way to demonstrate how careful she was being while also being willing to do more dangerous stuff. And as she got older, the reading and practice she had done began to grow- she started training with the new farmer who came to town with her inexplicable knowledge of how to properly handle a blade. Training with Zoe had been the first time Abigail had been encouraged to be strong and flexible. It was an antidote from the vague anecdotes about responsibility that were murmured by the men of the adventurer’s guild whenever she would ask them about teaching her. 

Sword skills practice became the nights she looked forward to. She was growing up- even in the two years the new farmer had been in town Abigail had already noticed her own arms moving more swiftly, hacking with more power. Sometimes she could even beat back Zoe’s wave of attacks and get a touch in with her own blade. She knew the reality of the situation- what it was like to be in battle. Well… that was what she had thought. Abigail cringed as she looked down at the near-complete drawing resting below her pencil tip and remembered the sickly sensation of her heart pounding when confronted with the massive beast. She was no warrior- just a kid who knew how to swing a blade. It was at times like these the thought loomed at the back of her brain. Thunder rolled through the house as she wondered- was her father correct? Had she been putting herself in danger for something worthless? What about the next time she saw something that scary? 

No. You couldn’t even entertain thoughts like that. Years of hard-won knowledge took hold. Abigail took a deep breath, feeling her lungs expanding. She let it sit in her belly before exhaling. Next time she encountered something that scary, she was going to run at it. After making that pledge she wondered what Sam had thought when he had seen the monster. She stifled a giggle as she imagined his cool guy demeanour falling away like loose glasses, leaving behind a gaping mouth and big round eyes. It was a little cruel, but given what had happened earlier during the game session she reasoned she had earned a little of that. Honestly, what had he been thinking. If only he had just listened. As the final strokes of the picture came into form Abigail twisted her mouth in a knot of tension. The little voice in the back of her head that sounded like her father was telling her to go and apologise to Sam. Maybe she had been too harsh on him. Even if what he had done had been undeniably stupid. Why hadn’t he just listened to her? She only realized how hard she was pressing the pencil doing shading when the tip snapped off, jolting her back to her senses.

Zoe was pacing around near the door, talking on the phone and assuring the person on the other end that things were fine. She seemed a little perturbed by the response:  
“Well, I’m fine but it’d be nice to hear a little bit of worry, booster”  
“Okay, well it looks like I’m going to have to hold up at the Robin’s place until morning. You’re safe out there, right?”- “Tea protection powers?”- “Yaldi. Love you.”  
Touching her cheek lightly, Zoe let the phone fall limply in her hands and rest for a second before pocketing it. Looking up, she noticed Abigail and nodded a greeting.  
“Was that Emily? I hope she’ll be okay out there.” Abigail asked.  
Blinking, Zoe answered:  
“Yeah, it was. She sounded excited when I told her about the monsters outside- I think I’m more worried about her than she is. I trust her though.”  
Abigail felt half a laugh escape from her mouth. Without smiling she mused:  
“If it were me I’d be pacing a rut into the hallway with all my anxious energy. Must be nice to have that sort of trust.”  
Zoe drew closer, perching on a stool close to Abigail. Cocking her head, she inquired:  
“Are you okay Abby?”  
Abigail tried to force a smile, lifting the left side of her mouth in a crooked point:  
“Well- okay as it gets after running for my life from a huge monster of darkness and death, yeah. My ankle doesn’t feel like it’s on fire.” The smile broke as she was saying this, so she returned her attention of the picture of the monster, sketching in a few finishing touches.  
She heard Zoe hum in a low tone before asking:  
“Yeah, that scared me too. But what about before that? The argument with Sam earlier and then cutting that tree up?”  
Abigail had already been wrestling with the intensity of those feelings before Zoe started asking, and the view of another person on that outburst made it much worse. She must have looked like such an emotional kid down there. 

“It was nothing- I just wish Sam had listened to me. Things would have gone so much smoother. I know my shi… I know the rules and he just went and did something boneheaded. And I don’t think he even realized how dumb that was.”  
Throughout all of this Abigaqil continued drawing, smoothing the edges, clarifying the tiny holes in the porous white top part of the creature and placing the oily glimmer in its many eyes. The silence from Zoe after she finished speaking felt like it dragged a little too long. As the farmer moved closer and perched on the stool near her, Abigail felt a tight knot wind in her stomach. The silence after that explanation reminded her of her father. It was relieving when Zoe’s only comment was:  
“You’re right that it was kind of a dumb move. But I’ve seen way worse things done by first-timers. Maybe Sam Braveheart will get re-incarnated with some mystic survival sense next session. It’s Sam’s character who died tragically trying to save his senpai so at least it makes sense in the story. Also, that drawing looks just as horrible as I remember the creature being. Sometimes I envy your gift of being able to make things so spooky.”  
Abigail set down the pencil and admired the lumpy and disgusting thing she had rendered onto the paper, allowing herself a smile:  
“That’s a good compliment for me specifically and not many others. Thanks Zoe.” She took a deep breath in and out quickly before continuing:  
“I guess we should take these things to Demetrius and the others in the kitchen now.”  
As she met Zoe’s eyes, the farmer gave a wan smile:  
“I mean, Sam is through there- you sure you’re going to be able to hold yourself back in the face of-”  
“A little much Zoe- I’ll be fine. I’m not a kid”.


	5. Expedition/Adventure START!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mystery creatures are on the move outside, and of course Demetrius has a mighty scientific interest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels so very good to be back to this fic. Thanks to anyone hopping in to take a look. Hoping to update a little more frequently in the next few months when I have the energy and also need to add some context for sam/sebastian stuff and get some sort of scene with farmer/emily because wow I want that more and more every chapter.  
> May your watermelons always be giant ones <3
> 
> (Oh also, chapter 4 got a little extra added onto the end which starts off this chapter thanks byeeeee)

It was 1:00 AM in the mountainside house. As the rain continued to rattle at the windows and thunder boomed overhead; the kitchen table was surrounded by conversation. All sipping coffee by now, Demetrius, Zoe, Robin and Sebastian were preparing to go out and track this creature down. For science of course.

 

They gathered piles of old waterproofs, notebooks and flashlights on the table into what was (as overseen by Demetrius) an orderly mess. Off to the side Abigail sipped at some more tea and watched the commotion with sleepy eyes that occasionally awkwardly flickered towards Sam, who was leaned back on his chair in a stress-nap as his flippy hair slowly dripped rain onto the wooden floor.

 

Robin had finally awoken from her stupor. As soon as Abigail had entered the room with the picture of the creature they had run across, Demetrius had got that look in his eye which meant there would be no stopping him tonight. Taking a long draw on her coffee cup, she examined the jacket they had found for Zoe to use. It was over-sized and hadn’t been removed from storage in several years. Underneath the musty scent of neglected clothing, she could still smell a familiar cologne. It was bringing back memories that she didn’t want in the daytime, let alone in the early morning on her second cup of coffee. Letting it fall back towards the table, Robin nodded and motioned for Zoe to try it on:  
“It should hold up-- there aren’t any holes in it at least.”

 

The young farmer disappeared into the old jacket but gave a nod after rolling the voluminous sleeves up:  
“Its going to stop me getting soaked at least- I feel like I’m in a tent. Robin could you pass me those flasks? These drinks are about ready to go.”

  
Nodding back, Robin rolled the motly assortment of flasks across the table, towards where the kettle was boiling. Turning to Demetrius, who was busy waterproofing some files with well-sealed plastic bags, she brushed a hand over his shoulder:  
“It’s still storming out there Demmi. I understand that you’re so very scientifically interested in this creature, but watch out. You know as well as I do how dangerous things can get out there.”

  
“Believe me, I’m going out hoping this creature thing is a trick of the light.” Seeing Robin's suspicious eyebrow raise:  
“You know me too well. I do want it to be a real creature. Logically, however I know it’s likely something else. My point is that I don’t expect to get eaten. Or crushed in a rockslide, or to get washed down the mountain. I’m a scientist- health and safety is in our blood.”

  
“Well that is some very specific risk assessing there. Would you like to throw ‘eaten by slimes’ or ‘stabbed by Linus’ in there too?”

Demetrius flinched slightly and replied in a muted tone:  
“That feels a bit much Robin. I love you. And I love Seb. And I’d poar tea over my computer before I let any harm come to any of you. I know you’re worried, but we’re probably just going to walkabout around, have an adventure in the rain and find out these creatures are really just some sort of strange group of bats. How does that sound?”

Robin unclenched her fist, letting the tension she could feel gathering there fall away. It must be the coffee stressing her out. Or perhaps the ‘being woken up by scientifically interesting and definitely unwholesome bullshit was stressing her out too. But, she remembered  doing wilder things and surviving all by herself.  
“It does. You’re still going to owe me breakfast tomorrow for getting me to come on out when I should be getting my beauty sleep, but everything is assembled. Ain’t no stoppin’ us now.”

  
She held her gaze on Demetrius’ dark eyes for a few seconds before giving him a kiss on the cheek and moving to get into her own waterproof clothes. She had no shortage of outdoors-y  waterproofs and jumpers-- they came with the territory of carpentry and outdoorsy work, so she chose one she didn’t mind getting all wet and some bright orange waterproofs for visibility. The heat of the house was becoming slightly oppressive after only a minute in these clothes, so she packed her stuff up fast. In quick fashion, the four members of this small expedition assembled outside the door.

 

Robin was in the lead, adjusting the lacing on her walking boots. Demetrius came close behind, proudly readying his camera under a waterproof cover that Robin had bought for his birthday a few years ago. Behind them were Zoe and Sebastian. It felt strange to Robin to see her son in anything other than a t-shirt and jeans so she enjoyed the novel look of him in a slightly too-small set of waterproofs that she had bought a year or so ago. They looked like they still covered everything well but Robin could not stop herself making a mental note to check he wasn’t getting soaked through them. She did feel proud to see him getting outside however. Who knew all that was needed was the potential for dark monsters?

 

Demetrius still had that shine in his eye from when he had first heard the story of Zoe and Abigail and made a show of briefing the team like he was in some sort of movie. Except his speech was a very passionate version of ‘safety first, it’s probably not a monster, just stay dry and follow me’. After everyone was ready, Robin heaved open the door, the wind blew in, whipping Zoe’s loose waterproofs around and the team ventured out into the storm. It was not as apocalyptic as it had been earlier on.

 

The darkness was what really struck Robin. The close-by lights of Pelican Town could be seen in-between the sheets of rain that fell through the dark, but until the group turned on their powerful flashlights and floodlamps the area beyond their porch light was impenetrable to the eye. Robin shuddered a little, hoping that this creature wouldn’t be too hard to track. Luckily they could all be heard well over the rainstorm and the diminishing thunder. She called out:  
“Zoe! Take the lead! Let’s head to where you saw this thing!”


	6. Rain-slick Seekers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang set off to find a dark and mysterious creature. Demetrius is a giant nerd, Robin is tires, Seb is actually getting into this. What discoveries lie in wait in the driving rain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live!   
> I die!   
> I live again!   
> What a lovely day to post. Sorry it's been a while, moving out and having way too much pressure from work did that. But I'm back here and I'm so excited for Demetrius to be a giant nerd and Zoe to take the lead.   
> I'm still updating the style and @mangaluva on here gave me some serious tips on formatting to make my violet prose more digestable and approachable, so thanks for being a massive cuitie.

Curious and cautious the beams of three flashlights and a floodlamp carved a path through the familiar unfamiliar of an ink-black autumn night. Zoe was in the lead. Despite being new to the area she knew most of the ins and outs of the winding mountain paths- chasing cows and getting back too late from the saloon had been stern teachers.

 

Following her was Demetrius, fiddling with bits and bobs of equipment which emerged one after another from below his waterproofs. He had been talking over the surrounding storm the whole way through the pass- theories about the implications of even a creature that big, let alone having existed for potentially thousands of years.

 

Close behind came Sebastian who seemed to have put aside some of the usual aloofness in place of simple wide-eyed interest in what Demetrius was saying and occasional interjections to correct the wild assertions Demetrius was making about D&D lore.

 

From the back of their little pack, Zoe heard Robin yell:   
“How much farther?”

  
  
Stopping briefly and getting a face-full of driving rain, Zoe replied:  
“Just around this bend is where Abby and I first saw it. Stay close everyone!”

  
  
Zoe kept her eyes wide and scanned the surrounding area for the scarred tree. The rain battering the cliffs and trickling in tiny streams filled her ears and she could hear all of it. Her shoulders held tense as the cold bit at her exposed hands.

 

Stumbling and slipping over exposed scree, the coterie rounded the bend where a temporary river of rainwater flowed down the path towards the farm. Just across the shallow flow was the tree itself. Zoe even caught the whiff of fresh sap on the fickle wind. Grinning despite her fear, she began sloshing through the muddy river, waving for the rest to follow her. Thunder boomed once more as they gathered around the scarred tree. With a sudden thought, Zoe scanned her searchlight over the ground and discovered Abby’s fallen lantern- extinguished but otherwise undamaged. Moving to check it still worked she flicked the switch off then on again and blinked as a light flared inside. The sight spilled out and illuminated the side of the scarred tree, drawing a sharp intake of breath from Sebastian.

 

“Did the creature do that?” He asked, flipping his rain-soaked fringe so that both of his blue eyes shone in the lamplight.

 

Without thinking, Zoe responded:   
“No, that was…” Shit. Abby probably wouldn’t be too happy at her secret tree murder passion being blown up for all to see. Time to improvise. “Bears”.

  
Robin was close enough to overhear this and piped up:   
“Bears did this? Looks pretty slim to be a bear marking.” Robin was outdoors-y enough to know something like that for sure. Darn. Zoe’s brain was doing flips trying to find out how to untangle this situation when Sebastian said:   
“I think Zoe probably knows the outdoors around here better— she’s out here all the time, not just on walking trails _mom_ ” He was aware enough to do a little head tilt and sprinkle just enough sarcasm in there that Robin wandered off towards Demetrius clearly deciding there were more important things to do.

 

Demetrius beckoned, marshalling his troops around the scarred trunk, which was blocking some of the driving rain and chilling wind.   
“We’re here where the creatures were last sighted, so we should look for any tracks or other signs they might have left behind. Be careful everyone- we don’t know what these creatures are like, so if we do find them we should keep quiet and watch from a distance. Are there any questions?”

 

Robin raised her hand and waited for Demetius to nod. In a serious tone she asked:   
“One thing darling- what if these creatures aren’t going to to sit and be watched by us? What if they chase us like Abby and Zoe?”

  
  
Demetrius was fiddling with a pair of oversized goggles over his eyes and replied from behind them: “If that happens we will probably need to run. I have flares packed for emergencies- they might work.”

  
  
Robin nodded in the same way she had when one of the cows Zoe had ordered arrived before the barn she was working on had its roof properly on- flustered by rolling with the chaotic flow of the world. She demanded: “Well, give Seb and I one of those flares each, you owe us!”

 

Demetrius popped the goggles off to reveal sheepish eyes as he distributed the red-packed sticks. Seb took one look at the warning labels all over it and seized the flare in one fist. Demetrius took a second watching both of them store the flares somewhere dry, before taking a breath about to explain how to use the flares.   
“All you have to do is point, twist and shoot. We don’t know what these things are but I’ve yet to hear of any form of life that won’t turn tail and flee when a flare shoots out at them!”

 

While this discussion was happening, Zoe had been combing the area with a large floodlamp she had discovered deep within a cupboard of waterproofs, wetsuits and forgotten things. The strong white beam of the light shimmered in the driving rain, illuminating cliffsides running with muddy tributaries down to the farm. Zoe simply wished that the beds of pumpkins she had growing happily would not drown tonight. Tiny critters would sometimes move in bursts as the powerful lamp crossed their hiding place, making the nervous farmer flinch. Aside from the tree, Abbey’s lantern and the cliffs nothing was out of the ordinary.

 

The others had began searching too. As she carefully scanned in a wide arc, Zoe caught Robin’s eyes which were a little bloodshot— she looked annoyed. Zoe tried to smile back but it slipped from her face a little. She had never quite known where she stood with Robin. She was always friendly but never seemed to get too deeply involved. Even when Zoe would bring around some stew with farm fresh ingredients while Robin was making repairs on the barn they would only discuss things like the weather and what her kids were up to. And now Robin was annoyed because there was no sign of the creatures that Zoe had been filling their heads with. As they both continued looking around, Zoe heaved a deep sigh and pulled the hood of her jacket closer around her damp fringe.

 

Sebastian, on the other hand, seemed to be loving this. He had a look of earnest interest as he carefully examined the churning mud at his feet and the bark of nearby trees. Moments when Sebastian’s detached, cool veneer showed more colour through were rare recently and the way his eyes were open so wide and he was jogging from one potential clue to the next made Zoe grin widely. Seb looked up and grinned back at her. The two met with goofy smiles while looking for scary dark monsters on a stormy night. Just as quickly the two smiles dropped from their faces, like lead horseshoes.

 

The rumble came from the ground and up through their legs. Everyone felt it and Zoe let out a small involuntary squeak. They all knew what earthquakes felt like— this was more urgent and staccato. From where they had all been looking, they drew back together at the scarred tree. Another rumble. The treetops were shaking again at the bottom of the gully leading to the farm. Another.   
Zoe barely had to shout— everyone had huddled together on instinct: “Looks like you might be seeing our monster tonight after all. Be careful everyone. It’s probably best to get out of the main gully and into the trees.”

 

Robin’s ruddy eyes were open wide for the first time that night. Her voice was slow and high as she said: “Here I was thinking this was some prank for D&D stuff you were pulling. I’ve never felt anything like…” Another rumble. “Like that.”

 

Zoe had to bite her lip to stop a reckless response from slipping from her tired brain. Who does she think I am that I’d pull a prank? I’m not a kid, despite hanging out with hers! This train of thought was rudely interrupted before Zoe could work out what to do with these feelings of indignant anger as a scream rent the night air, cutting through the static of millions of drops of rain.

 

Robin and Demitrius snapped closer, both of them grabbing at Sebastian’s side. Sebastian didn’t even squirm. Standing slightly in front of them was a stock still Zoe. If Zoe had been a bloodhound her ears would have been bolt upright. Another scream, closer this time. Another rumble.   
Zoe shouted out through the rain, her voice cracking in desperation: “EMILY!” Beckoning for the others to follow she started towards the screams as fast as the muddy slope would allow her.


End file.
